Walking on the twilight side of the hill
by Natta
Summary: Pearl Brownlock is a young hobbit lass who has problems with her life. These problems have recently turned very serious and someone has to do something. Can her friends Merry and Pippin help her before it’s too late?
1. Something is wrong

Walking on the twilight side of the hill  
  
Chapter 1. Something is wrong.  
  
By: Natta  
  
Betareading by: Mistress Brandybuck  
  
Chapter rating: PG (unlikely to stay there)  
  
Archive: Yes, but ask first.  
  
Feedback: Not reviewing is stealing!  
  
Disclaimer: Yes in fact I am Tolkien. Did anyone notice it's *fan*fiction. If I owned the damn thing it would be original fiction and it wouldn't be allowed at ff.net. I do own Pearl Brownlock though!  
  
Summary: Pearl Brownlock is a young hobbit lass who has problems with her life. These problems have recently turned very serious and someone has to do something. Can her friends Merry and Pippin help her before it's too late? Thoughts are marked with // as my computer won't upload italics.  
  
Pearl watched a certain spot on the wall. She had been awake for almost an hour, but she didn't want to get up. Not just yet. She looked at the old clock on the wall. It was half past eight and her mother should have first breakfast ready. Her fists clenched the sheets. Pearl wasn't nearly as close to her mother as she had been, they had somehow been drifting apart. Or at least that's what Pearl thought. She closed her eyes and tried to shut out all the sounds around her, to just drift off, it was always easier when she did that. But this time, it wasn't possible.  
  
'Pearl! Pearl!' She sighed. It was her mother. Now she had to get up. She sat up in the bed and put down her feet on the floor. It felt ice-cold and she shivered. She stood up, but couldn't help her legs slightly shaking. She had been feeling weaker lately, but she shook it off with the thought that she was growing and that I did strange things to people. She took a look in the mirror on her wall. Her hair was brown, very curly and almost waist-long. Her eyes were dark blue and she had dark eyebrows and full lips. It would have been good, if only she hadn't been so fat.  
  
//All hobbit's are more or less fat, but I'm...I'm just too much! All my friends are much thinner than me. I really do eat too much.// And another voice in her head told her:  
  
//I am not worthy of this. Why should I deserve anything at all? Just look at me. Pathetic. I don't deserve being here at all.// She sighed and went to her closet to fetch some clothes. She wore a dress that really was too large for her.  
  
//Then maybe others won't see how fat I am,// she thought and went out of her room. She decided to sneak out without her mother noticing her. Then she wouldn't have to eat anything, otherwise her mother would probably force her to eat loads of food. Her mother simply didn't understand how she had to think about the way she looked if she was ever to find a husband.  
  
//Which is unlikely to happen,// she thought as she quickly opened the door and left the hobbit hole. Outside it was lovely sunlight and she strolled along the road until she heard running steps behind her. She turned around and looked. It was Merry and Pippin, her two best friends. They smiled and waved at her. She waved back.  
  
'Hi Pearl,' Pippin said. 'Are you okay?' He sounded concerned and Pearl noticed they were both looking at her with serious looks. She didn't like it when they were serious. She just wanted them to laugh and play around her so that she could forget just for a moment how worthless she was and just join in on their fun.  
  
'I'm just fine,' she said in a stern voice that made them both flinch.  
  
'Okay,' said Merry slowly. 'So, what do you want to do today?' Pippin thought for a moment, then his eyes lit up.  
  
'We could go stealing some food from Maggot!' Pearl groaned.  
  
'Is food all you two can think of? Besides, it's wrong to steal from others.' Both boys looked at her with surprise.  
  
'What's wrong with you,' said Pippin. 'You sound like...a girl!'  
  
'Well in case you didn't notice, I happen to be a girl. And a girl must think about her weight as well.'  
  
//And who am I to make troubles for someone else? No, I'd better just keep out of everybody's way.//  
  
She continued to walk, not noticing them standing on the road and staring at her.  
  
~TBC~  
  
A/N A short chapter to begin with but I'll try to make them longer soon. And Boromir is sitting on my shoulder and nagging me to make it longer. Shut up Boromir, I'm trying!  
  
//Natta  
  
P.S. REVIEW OR ELSE... 


	2. Memories

Walking on the twilight side of the hill  
  
Chapter 2. Memories.  
  
By: Natta  
  
Betareading by: Mistress Brandybuck  
  
Chapter rating: PG (unlikely to stay there)  
  
Archive: Yes, but ask first.  
  
Feedback: Not reviewing is stealing!  
  
Disclaimer: Everyone together now: Tolkien owns Lord of the rings la la la...  
  
Summary: Pearl Brownlock is a young hobbit lass who has problems with her life. These problems have recently turned very serious and someone has to do something. Can her friends Merry and Pippin help her before it's too late? Thoughts are marked with // as my computer won't upload italics.  
  
'Pearl! Pearl!' A young Pearl Brownlock turned her head and giggled as she saw her eight-year-old cousin Merry rush to her with an excited smile on his face. They were born very close to each other, in fact she was only a week older than her. (which she often teased him about by saying things like "you should listen to your elders") Their parents were very close friends, so they had got to know each other very well from the beginning, they also used to have birthday parties together. When they were four, Pearl had given him the nickname "Merry" since he was always so happy and it also fit with his name. Today though, he looked even more happy and glowing than usual.  
  
'What is it? You look like you've seen an elf or something!' Merry stopped and panted heavily, he had been running apparently.  
  
'No I haven't, but almost as good! Aunt Eggy is finally having her baby! Pearl's tired morning face lit up as a torch and they ran together down to the cab that was to take them to Tuckbourough. It was a long ride and they both got tired of waiting.  
  
'I'm beginning to think we'll never reach them,' whined Pearl. Merry agreed with her, but gave a cry as he looked out the window.  
  
'Look! We're here! Finally!' Pearl flinched and sat straight up, preparing to get out of the cab as quick as possible. When the car had stopped, two small hobbit children ran towards the door as quick as possible, while their parents got off the cab and took off to follow their children. When Merry and Pearl had ran up a few stairs they met someone Pearl giggling used to call "her other half" sometimes, though she really didn't mean that as Pearl Took was a very scary person, not at all very nice to young children like Merry and herself. They stopped in their tracks as the elder hobbit blocked their way and tried to find a way around her. She groaned.  
  
'Oh please, not you two. We have had a baby here and we don't want you two running around here disturbing the peace.' Merry and Pearl's happy spirits sank, but another voice was heard from behind her.  
  
'Oh Pearl, don't be like that. Let the small ones see the baby too. Everything is just fine.' Pearl didn't look very happy with this, but stepped out of the way. She could be very supercilious against younger children, but against her mother she didn't dare to say anything. Merry and Pearl ran inside the room, but once they got there they became very quiet and walked up slowly to the bed where Eglantine was lying with the new-born baby in her arms. They slowly and carefully climbed up in the bed to see the little one.  
  
'He's so beautiful,' whispered Pearl with wide eyes. Merry nodded in awe. Then they were quiet, just watching the baby until their parents came and brought them out, saying that Eglantine needed to rest. When they were out, Merry turned to Pearl.  
  
'You know what, I think we're going to be good friends with him.' Pearl nodded eagerly.  
  
'Yes, we could be a trio!' The children giggled, but Pearl's parents didn't look too happy about it.  
  
****  
  
Pearl was staring out the window of the cab in angry stubbornness. Her parents had made a few futile attempts to talk with her, but had given up since she wouldn't answer. She could hear them whisper things about "tweens and their moodiness", but that she thought, didn't solve the issue. Pearls parents (I've decided to name them so they are Rascana and Ishael Brownlock.) had just recently decided to take her to a trip for Hobbiton to meet her father's cousins that she barely knew. Just at the beginning of the summer, when she, Merry and Pippin were going to go camping and swimming and doing all kinds of funny things. Now they were going away for two months and when they were back, the best time of the year would be gone and she would have missed out all the fun! But that was not the worst of it. Pearl felt a tear ran down her cheek. When she turned twenty-one her parents had suddenly decided that she shouldn't spend so much time with boys, and instead try to make friends with some girls.  
  
'It was bad enough when you were young,' they had said. 'You were always spending time with Merry, never even paying attention to the other girls. And then when Pippin was born, it got even worse. You had two boys that you spent all your time with. And that...thing you've started to wear, it has to stop. You are bringing shame upon our family Pearl!' Pearl closed her eyes, trying to shake the speech of her mind. She had been wearing boy's clothes, lending of Merry and Pippin, breeches and waistcoats for years. It made playing, climbing and such much easier. Her parents had never noticed as she changed far away from her home but one day her clothes were gone when they got back to the place where she had left them. As she couldn't go home naked, she had to wear the boy's clothes all the way home. She tried to sneak inside her bedroom without being noticed, but she was. That was just too much, said her parents, so she was forbidden to spend time with Merry and Pippin, who's parents pleaded with the Brownlocks to be reasonable as the kids had so much fun together, but they wouldn't listen. Of course, they couldn't control what she did all the time so finally, they decided to get away for a while, and as Ishael's cousins had daughters Pearl's age spending time there would "take it out of her". Pearl leaned back in the seat. She had already decided on hating those girls.  
  
****  
  
'And congratulations to Merry and Pearl who have now both turned twenty- five!' Everyone raised their glasses and cheered, as the two of them shared the first dance, happily talking while moving to the music. Pippin, who was 17, was hungrily eating of a pie made of blueberries, which was his favourite. Ishael and Rascana had stopped disapproving of the relationship their daughter had with the two boys and was instead of the opinion that no such relationship between different genders could be formed without underlying reasons and was now happily planning the future of the dancing couple. Marrying the young master of Buckland was not bad for any girl, and they would be thrilled if it would be their daughter, which they had no doubt it would. The tweens in question had no such plans though, they wouldn't dream of it. (they would just be confused and feel it all wrong, as if someone told you you were to marry someone your own gender/other gender depending on if you're hetero or homosexual)  
  
'This party is so boring,' said Merry. Pearl nodded.  
  
'You can see clearly our parents planned it,' and they both laughed. Merry suddenly looked mischievous. (Ah, there we have him, finally ; D)  
  
'What do you say, after this dance, we fetch Pippin and run off to pull some prank or something. I think our parents ought to know this is our party and we should be allowed to have it our way.' Pearl nodded knowingly. They had only wanted a small, private party with their closest friends and relatives, but their parents had insisted on making it grand and invite almost everyone in the shire. Merry and Pearl didn't like that, as they felt uncomfortable when a lot of people were there and everyone's attention was on themselves. (Believe it or not, but our hobbit friends are a bit shy.) So they decided they would meet at the old barn to plan something, Pearl would go there directly while Merry went to get Pippin. She walked quickly and happily towards the old house. Finally something fun was up with this party. She opened the old door and stepped into the darkness...  
  
****  
  
Pearl frowned. Why couldn't she remember what had happened in that barn?  
  
//But then again,// she thought, //when you're as useless as I am, that's what happens I suppose.// And she turned on her other side and fell asleep as the stars was glowing on the dark sky.  
  
~TBC~  
  
A/N Nope, no writers block Rudolph today. 'am very happy! : ) And Boromir has been nagging me through this whole story, but he's finally satisfied and has gone to sleep. Hope this is okay, it's a bit longer than the last one.  
  
Q & A  
  
Pippinfan1988: This is beginning nicely...! How long is it that you keep people hanging? ;-)You had me rolling on the floor laughing my you-know- what off with the "owning the damned thing!" You are too funny! Take care!  
  
Natta: I keep people hanging for long...but now I'm back! Thank you and hope you liked this one too!  
  
Chocolatelf: Boromir is right. But ti doesn't really matter too much. This is really good! It's interestinog because the Shire is very much seen as a small community full of permantly happy people...erm...Hobbits... This actually make you think! Well, update soon! I loved: Feedback: Not reviewing is stealing!  
  
Natta: Haven't you learned? Boromir is always right. erm *chokes* I think hobbits are as happy as they seem and that my mind is a sick one...but who cares, on with the story! : p  
  
French Pony: This has a nice flow to it. You seem very much in command of the language, which I'm guessing from your bio is your second language. In which case, well done.The only thing that concerns me at the moment is that you might have tipped your hand a little early. We haven't really gotten to know Pearl yet, but we do know that she's depressed and if not already anorexic, well on her way to becoming so. For a second chapter, I'd love to get to know Pearl a bit better and see what makes her special, because clearly Merry and Pippin think she's pretty cool.  
  
Natta: Well, voila! Hope you're happy, this review influenced this chapter much! Hope you like it.  
  
loveofthering: a very interesting story...poor Pearl, I sure hope Merry and Pippin can help her feel better about herself and have fun while doing it! Keep writing and I'll keep reading :-)  
  
Natta: I'm writing...now it's up to you! Merry and Pippin will always find ways to have fun. 


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